VIEWING TIME AS A MEASURE OF SEXUAL INTEREST AMONG CHILD MOLESTERS AND NORMAL HETEROSEXUAL MEN

Although phallometric assessment is the best scientific method for mea suring male sexual interest, it is intrusive and highly technical. We examined viewing time as an unobtrusive and technically simple measure of sexual preference and compared the discrimination obtained jy view ing time measures with that obtained by phallometric measures. Slides of nude males and females of various ages were shown to child molester s and normal men while their viewing times were recorded. Subjects the n rated the sexual attractiveness of the stimulus persons. Phallometri c assessments using the same stimulus categories were also given to so me of the Ss. Deviance scores calculated from the viewing time data si gnificantly discriminated between the child molesters and the normals, although the discrimination achieved was less than that obtained usin g phallometric measures. Sexual attractiveness ratings did not differe ntiate the two groups. Among the normal men, viewing time and sexual a ttractiveness ratings were highly correlated; but the correlation was much lower for child molesters. Viewing time shows considerable promis e as an unobtrusive measure of male sexual interest.